Impact of Social Media on Youth Political Participation in the 2023 General Election in Nigeria (a Study of Youths in Offa Local Government)

This study examined the Impact of social media on youth participation in 2023 general election
in Nigeria ( A study of youths in Offa Local Government). In conducting this study, four
objectives were set specifically to find out the level of youth exposure to political messages on
social media during 2023 election, to examine the level of youth engagement in political
messages on social media during 2023 election, to determine the level of usefulness of social
media political messages during 2023 election and to find out whether social media political
messages influence the youth to vote during 2023 election which led to the adoption of survey
research method as research design. Questionnaire was the instrument used in gathering data.
Data gathered for the purpose of this study were presented and analyzed using frequency
distribution table and percentage. The study found that most of the respondents had access to
social media especially to Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram and on the benefits derived from
the use of social media political messages , majority of the respondents make use of social media
political messages to know more about political parties,political candidates, political manifesto
and election schedule . It was recommended that it is crucial for policy makers, researchers and
social media platforms themselves to understand the mechanisms through which social media
interactions influence voters.promoting digit alliteracy, combating mis-information, and ensuring
transparency in algorithmic processes are essential steps toward creating and heal their online
political and environment that empowers voters to make informed decisions, the information in
the social platforms should be persuasive to move the urban residents to act and at the party,
level political parties should put in place some internal mechanism like youth empowerment
framework that will encourage more youth membership in to their party by assigning roles and
responsibilities to them